Complaints Department

Read Psalms 63:1–65:13

1. O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
2. Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrong-doers.
3. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.
4. They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
5. They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. “Who will ever notice?” they ask.
6. As they plot their crimes, they say, “We have devised the perfect plan!” Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.
7. But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down.
8. Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9. Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God and realize all the amazing things he does. Psalm 64:1-9

No one likes to listen to whining and complaining—no matter how legitimate the gripe. Negative talk is tiring and depressing. Where do you take your complaints? Do you torture your loved ones with a diatribe, yell at the mirror, scream at the television, write a letter, or just hold it in?

Psalm 64 talks about whining and griping and offers a solution. Read and learn that there is a legitimate place and time for complaints.

The other psalms in this reading encourage us to look to God for satisfaction (Psalm 63) and give thanks to God for all he provides (Psalm 65).

Like many people today, David often complained about his circumstances and vented his feelings. Unlike most people, however, he took his complaints to God, as he did in Psalm 64:1-6.

Many people think it would be disrespectful to complain in prayer, supposing that God doesn’t want to hear the complaints or that voicing negative thoughts directly to God is somehow unspiritual. David’s model shows that in addition to our praise, confession, and requests, God wants to hear everything—even matters that we may not want to tell him. We cannot hide from God, so why should we try?

David expressed his complaints honestly to God, knowing that God would listen to him as a loving father listens to his children. The next time you feel like complaining, take it to God. He will listen to you.